


Nothing Ventured

by dixie_drifter



Series: A Little Slice of the Kingdom [1]
Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 09:46:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15116822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dixie_drifter/pseuds/dixie_drifter
Summary: A little post series drabble. In which, the Cody's have (kind of) found their mellow, and our boys take advantage of a slow weekend to do some furniture shopping.





	Nothing Ventured

**Author's Note:**

> Not edited, and not really thought out. Just a little idea I had, so I typed it out on my phone. Probably too many commas for comfort. Will probably become a series of oneshots. I also have no idea how surf competitions work, and I was too lazy to look it up.

"This is... I, mean, it-- it's just..." Deran let his words trail off with the thoughts behind them. He stood leaning against the driver's side door of the Scout, hands shoved in the pockets of his board shorts. "Come on, Adrian, really?"

Adrian was completely relaxed beside him, completely amused by the other man. "Its what, Deran? You can say it."

Deran scowled. "Its probably--"

"Probably the most homosexual thing you've ever done," Adrian teased when Deran broke off again, drawing out the vowels in homosexual in a sing songy voice.

Deran shot him an unimpressed look, and Adrian flat out laughed.

'Come on, D. We both know that's not true. I've got a bite mark on my ass. You put it there right before you licked--"

"That's totally different," Deran interjected. "That's just gay. This is a whole new level. What's next, dude? Are we heading to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for matching His and His robes? Coffee mugs? Pillowcases?"

"Ok, first off, you're just being contrary now. You had the whole way here to voice any other ideas, and all you did was sulk. Second, I've always known the inside of your head was a scary place, and while I completely understand your thought process, we're going to talk about how you keep those two things separate in your head, ok? Later," he stressed.

"For now, we're going inside that store, and we're going to pick out nice things to decorate our new place with, because I'm not having anything from IKEA or anything found on the street this time around."

Deran scoffed. "That chair was more comfortable than anything in there, I guarantee it."

"Then somebody else can enjoy it." Adrian shoved of the truck, taking a few steps away before turning back to Deran. He offered his hand, wiggling his fingers to encourage his cranky boyfriend. Deran straightened, and started to take the offered hand when his phone rang.

"Its J," Deran told him.

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Of course it is. Tell him we're busy," he said when Deran put the phone to his ear. He settled back against the Scout to listen.

"Yeah? No, I'm not around. Try Pope. I don't know how long it'll be. How long does it take to pick out furniture? This place is huge, so it'll probably take days"

Adrian drifted closer, J's hurried speech hitting his ear. There was a pause when Deran mentioned where they were, then J laughed loud enough to make Deran pull the phone away from his ear.

"Oh, fuck you," he snapped. J's voice had lowered enough that Adrian couldn't hear him anymore so he didn't know what had provoked Deran's outburst. These days, apart from Craig, J was the Cody that was close enough to Deran that the bullshit and constant ribbing was teasing instead of cruel and biting.

"Just remember, it was you who wanted me to get a few cases of that disgusting microbrew to keep stocked at the bar. No one else drinks that horse piss." Deran turned to Adrian, who cocked an eyebrow, as if to say, why are you still talking to him? "Look, J, obviously it can wait, otherwise you would've been all over me before I had a chance to leave. Go drink your horse piss, I've got furniture to buy."

Deran slipped the phone back in his shorts and started toward the big doors of the building. When he realized Adrian hadn't moved he turned and went back.

"So we doing this or what?" He asked.

Adrian stepped up to Deran, placing his hands on Deran's hips. "Why so gung ho all of a sudden? Pretty sure I was gonna have to drag you in there by your dick." He started rubbing circles into Deran's warm skin with his thumbs. It still made him grin like an idiot sometimes. How comfortable Deran was with who he was now, how easily he accepted intimacy in such public places. He wondered if Deran realized how often he unconsciously sought these kinds of touches.

Adrian had kept a certain amount of distance between them when he'd come back from the tour, but if was honest with himself, he had been drawn in from the get go, pulled by some invisible force into the open and unhindered attitude the youngest Cody brother had adapted.

He'd managed, with the help of a couple small time sponsors, and several first place checks, to pay back what Deran had loaned him weeks before he'd been knocked out of the competition for good. Walking into Deran's bar for the first time in months, his gaze had caught on Deran immediately, automatically. He sat surrounded by Codys, Craig's dealer girlfriend, and a blonde woman with Asian features Adrian vaguely recognized from Deran's descriptions of Billy and his partner in crime.

Almost as soon as he'd laid eyes on Deran, he found Deran looking back. The split second of shock, gave way to a wide, uncaring smile that jolted Adrian because of how freely it was given. Deran had stood and called the attention of the entire bar like a king commanding a court.

"The prodigal son returns!" he announced, lifting his beer in a silent toast as Adrian moved away from the entrance. People he had surfed with for years, those he'd never laid eyes on, everyone seemed eager to get in a handshake or a slap on the back. He'd gotten far enough in competition to catch the eye of a few reporters and such, which had garnered him a few articles and ESPN interviews. Everyone who had never gotten that close wanted it known that some one they knew had basked in glory, even if just for a moment. Adrian had accepted their congratulations, and their condolences on being forced out after coming so far, but his attention had been solely on Deran.

Deran, who had swooped in with that same wide grin, and wrapped him in a bruising hug saying, "Didn't I fucking tell you? Huh? Didn't I fucking say you had it in you?" Adrian had been unable to help himself. He'd wrapped himself tightly around the other man with a grin of his own,laughing, until he'd been yanked away by Craig.

"Look," Deran began, breaking Adrian from his thoughts. "I like the old IKEA stuff. It was easy to replace when we broke it, because we couldn't wait until we got to the bed before fucking." He stopped for a moment, obviously choosing his next words carefully. As much progress as Deran had made since those first moves for independence, since coming out to Smurf, blurting out how he was feeling, why he was feeling it, still came unnaturally to him. No matter how small or great the emotion behind it was, he took time to say it right.

Adrian waited him out. He took his hands from Deran's hips and twined their fingers together instead. Deran squeezed his hands tightly before continuing.

"Our new place is everything I never thought I would actually be able to have. We are everything I never thought I could actually have. That's a new feeling, an un--fucking--believable one. So if this catalogue shit is what you want, then I'll hang it on every wall." Deran pulled his hands free so he could cup Adrian's face. "Besides, when we break your fancy couch and your tables because you can't wait to get your hands on me, we'll be right back at IKEA. Lesson learned."

"Someone's cocky," Adrian said. He stepped back, and they fell in sync, finally making their way to the front of the store. "Plus, I'm not looking to cram our place wall to wall with this stuff, you know that, right? We just need a kitchen table, some chairs, and a couch. Preferably leather, so it will be easier to keep clean. You know, with what little control I have around you." He dodged the playful swipe of Deran's arm as they walked through the automatic doors and were blasted with air conditioning.

Deran reached over and twined their fingers together. "Lead the way, man," he said, sweeping their linked hands out in an arc. They passed the crowded cash registers,and kept close as they navigated the throng of people. Adrian knew it was already more fun having Deran along because people seemed willing to fall over themselves to get out of the way of his glare. Adrian may have been the more physically imposing of the two, but Deran had had to master the nonverbal get out of my way vibe at a young age to keep up with his brothers. Who knew it would come in handy as they searched for a couch, of all things, with all of Pottery Barn at their disposal.


End file.
